BCD Celebrates Launch of Campaign on Friday, December 11

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LENOX, MA (12/01/2015)(readMedia)-- Berkshire Country Day School ("BCD"), an independent school for students in preschool through ninth grade, is proud to announce that on Friday, December 11, the School will hold a cocktail party to celebrate Fulfilling the Promise: The Capital Campaign for BCD.

Hosted by Honorary Campaign Co-Chairs Kim and James Taylor, the party celebrates the first formal capital campaign for the School in almost two decades. December 11 marks the start of the final phase of the Campaign which is raising funds for both facilities and the School's endowment (and in particular the Endowment for Faculty Salaries). The party is also hosted by Campaign Co-Chairs Philip '61 and Hilary Deely and Chris and Hilary Ferrone, Board of Trustees President Paige Orloff, and Head of School Paul Lindenmaier.

The event program will unveil a video about the Campaign followed by a surprise presentation. There will be an open bar, hors d'oeuvres and dessert by Mezze Catering, and musical entertainment with BCD faculty member Jon Suters (guitar), Roger Suters (bass), Charlie Tokarz (woodwinds), and Rob Putnam (piano and vocals).

An impetus for this Campaign came from the late Kevin Hirt '06, whose favorite class was library. Kevin suffered from neuroblastoma, an aggressive pediatric cancer. When he knew he would not survive, despite his courageous fight, ten-year-old Kevin asked his parents to donate his college fund money to BCD to support the expansion of the School's library. Kevin's parents, Paul Hirt and Lynn Campana, agreed and promised they would help to raise the balance of the funds needed. Thanks to their shared dream and the generosity of many community members, BCD is poised to "Fulfill the Promise" to Kevin and his family with the construction of the Kevin Hirt Library and Learning Commons, which will transform BCD's programs and teaching practices. Kevin's parents and other family members will be in attendance on December 11.

The celebration will also feature an exciting announcement about the creation of a new music and performance room in Furey Hall, making this the most dramatic upgrade to BCD's historic campus in almost two decades.

The School has acted with great care to arrive at this moment of stability and innovation. A strategic planning process engaging hundreds of stakeholders in 2009 set a long-term vision for the School which is distinct in program, adventurous in spirit, engaged in a changing world. A subsequent master planning process in 2010-11 identified important facilities upgrades, and the top priorities are being realized by this Campaign.

The Endowment component of the Campaign supports the people at the heart and soul of BCD: the Faculty. By growing the Fund for Faculty Salaries and the Fund for Professional Development, BCD is positioned to attract, retain, and support the exemplary professionals that make up the dynamic staff. A fund named for celebrated BCD teachers, the Eugénie & Jim Fawcett Fund for Faculty Salaries, honors two professionals who have taught at BCD for a combined 82 years. The Fawcetts and many beloved faculty members will be in attendance on December 11.

The Campaign celebration comes on the heels of a new arts initiative, which was rolled out last year to great praise. Led by artist Sasha Sicurella, the program has students working alongside professional artists exposing them to a range of offerings including pottery, wood-working, graphic design, jazz band, improv class, and more. Programs like these are built on a foundation of seven years of balanced budgets and intentional planning and stewardship as overseen by Head of School Paul Lindenmaier and the Board of Trustees.

Campaign Committee members include Philip '61 & Hilary Deely (Co-Chairs) and Chris & Hilary Ferrone (Co-Chairs), David & Bev Hosokawa, Danny Lipson, Paige Orloff (Board President), Marianna Poutasse, Scott Schiff '74, and Paul Lindenmaier (Head of School). The Honorary Committee includes Kim & James Taylor (Co-Chairs), Earl Albert, Sion Boney, Peter Buttenheim, Donna Elmendorf, Nancy Kalodner, Jane Ryan, Jim Maxymillian, Robin McGraw, Claire Naylor-Pollart, Annie Selke '78, and Alli Sheehan.

The celebration will take place on Friday, December 11 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Berkshire Country Day School in Fitzpatrick Hall, 55 Interlaken Road in Stockbridge, MA. The adult-only event is open to the BCD community and the press with a reservation. There is no fee for admission. The venue is handicap-accessible. For further details or to RSVP, please contact Jessica Provenz in the Development Office at (413) 637-0755 x144 or jprovenz@berkshirecountryday.org.

About Berkshire Country Day School

Berkshire Country Day School, established in 1946 is an independent school for students in Preschool through Grade 9. Berkshire Country Day School exists to inspire the individual promise of every student, that each may become an exemplary citizen of the world. For more information about the school, visit berkshirecountryday.org.